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Id assume that in most states around the country Bluegill fishing is best in late spring and summer.
How do you guys and gals target bluegill during the winter time? Are you fishing deep or using a particular bait?
Went out a few days ago...saw a lot feeding on the surface after a warm spell, but most of them were small which...how do you target keepers during the winter? What tactics work best for you?
Bluegill fishing is easiest in spring and summer, not necessarily better. Some of my best days have been in November - January.Quote:
Originally Posted by Panfish Nation
Most people drag baits through the beds and never learn any other methods. Fish good structure in deeper water with small jigs, and you will catch them.
Don't know what it's like in the winter for Florida fish. I live in north Mississippi near the Tennessee line and around here I usually catch them anywhere from 10 - 20 feet deep on 1/64th oz. beetle type jigs in either black or white (depends on water clarity) near the bottom. I assume a trout magnet would be splendid too, but I haven't tried them out in cold water yet. Generally I move out from the spawning areas I'm familiar with until I hit 10 feet deep and keep fishing and moving out until I find them - I haven't used electronics in my fishing. I watch youtube videos of a cheerful old fellow that called himself Juanelo catching panfish in the winter up in Ohio and he usually uses a jig head with just a meal worm or two on the hook and seems to catch them pretty well even in some videos where it is snowing on him. He's fishing his own private pond and doesn't seem to be fishing all that deep most of the time.
I target them in winter with a lot a lot of success. Many times the action being as good as fishing beds during the spawn. I do a lot of tailrace fishing in water that is 20-26 feet deep using a Trout Magnet. I also hit up smaller lakes when the sun is bright on a cold winter day. Bluegill will be up shallow on those days to warm themselves in water that is maybe only a couple degrees warmer. Was not able to fish for them this winter due to my surgery.
Regards
Bluegill are stacking up. - YouTube
Never tried a Trout magnet, may have to give them a try! What makes them different then a standard jib/soft bait? The way they fall horizontally?
I started using it 12 years ago to catch trout. I then started fishing UL gear only. Soon found out everything likes a Trout Magnet. If you check out my YouTube channel....TroutMagnetMan....you will see I use it for 95 percent of my fishing. It is excellent on bluegill...shellcracker.....crappie and my preferred bait for smallmouth. Of course it is also my preferred lure for trout.....using the TM for 6 days out of the last 10 or so has netted me about 400 trout. As soon as I can get the hubs changed on my boat trailer I’ll be back after bluegill.....crappie and white bass. It does fall horizontally, but so do a lot of other soft plastics. I only use 2-3# test line with it on a 1/2 gram.....1 gram, or 1.5 gram jig head.Quote:
Originally Posted by Panfish Nation
Regards
Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
In winter I always carry along sonar and battery on a sled with my tackle box, spoon to clear ice, etc. I have to know the depth amount of weeds just in cast there's a pattern going on. Than it's just a matter of using the usual lures you usually catch pan fish with (light jigs would be my choice).Quote:
How do you guys and gals target bluegill during the winter ?
(BTW There's no such thing as targeting one species of pan fish including gills.)
Nj is super cold I wonder how to find them they must be deep I'd imagine
When we fished Candlewood L in Conn. we tried deep water- nothing. As we were coming in to go home we spotted a few anglers closer to shore with weeds up against the ice on the surface in 5' according to line length once the lure hit bottom. Sure enough after we cut holes in weed pockets - panfish, a pickerel and a small bass - over two dozen in 30 minutes as the sun was setting. Wasted the day in deep water.Quote:
they must be deep I'd imagine
Oh wow that's crazy thanks for Sharing---Quote:
Originally Posted by Spoonminnow
From that and other outings on the ice in different lakes I learned one thing:
1. find them catch them or at least up the odds of catching fish.
2. Different years on any one lake can be totally different as far as location and in my experience usually is.
3. Lures that caught fish one year can usually be counted on and that includes the basic spoon & grub combo.
4.Two or more anglers dropping different lures through holes cut in the ice can do well at the same time. Maybe it has something to do with fish activity levels in a certain areas regardless the time of day, whereas other areas are devoid of fish or at least active fish and strike nothing.
So far though I've only caught fish in shallow to moderate depths and no fish in deep water or areas that didn't have at least a few weeds. Coves seem to hold more active fish. All I know is that vertical jigging is best this time of year in the waters I fish.
I have good luck in 10-12 ft. throwing1/64 trout magnet heads or 1/32 pony head jigs with various plastic bodies . Sliders , pan fish magnets, Crème or Mr. Twister all 1- 11/2 in length .